Mahindra Quanto
INTERIOR:
Ed's take:
The Quanto is a compact SUV,
but is spacious on the inside. The bells and whistles and the plastic
quality on the Quanto is decent. The Quanto's seats are also fairly
comfortable with loads of head room.
The Quanto is based on the Xylo platform, and Mahindra is also sharing most of the mechanical bits on the compact SUV to reduce the cost. Hence, most of the plastics and the interior bits are a direct pick from the Xylo. The plastic quality of the material isn't that great and is very much similar to the Xylo.
There is sufficient space on the inside those. The first two rows are fairly spacious. Not only is there sufficient room, but even the seats are large and supportive. Five people can sit abreast without any issues. The two seats at the end at small and good enough for children or short journeys.
The Quanto is based on the Xylo platform, and Mahindra is also sharing most of the mechanical bits on the compact SUV to reduce the cost. Hence, most of the plastics and the interior bits are a direct pick from the Xylo. The plastic quality of the material isn't that great and is very much similar to the Xylo.
There is sufficient space on the inside those. The first two rows are fairly spacious. Not only is there sufficient room, but even the seats are large and supportive. Five people can sit abreast without any issues. The two seats at the end at small and good enough for children or short journeys.
ENGINE
:
:
Ed's take:
This
new engine on the Quanto is a newly derived engine from the existing
Mahindra powertrains. The twin turbos help to reduce the lag and make it
more drivable as the power delivery is linear, like a petrol mill.
Mahindra does a good job with its new engine.Mahindra has introduced a brand-new engine on the Quanto. This is a 1.5-litre, three cylinder twin turbo engine that produces 100bhp of power and 240Nm of torque. The power delivery on this mill is linear as there is negligible turbo lag on the compact SUV. This engine is a tad noisier than one would want, however the vibration isn’t that bad.
The Quanto has good enough power to overtake in the city and the highways, but that punch like other diesel engines seems to go missing. The 5-speed manual transmission on the Quanto is a tad rubbery, and the throws are a bit long. Mahindra has developed a new transmission for the Quanto and it does feel a bit better than the already existing products..
C2: The C2 is the base model on the Quanto. It’s like plain vanilla ice cream that gets power steering anc HVAC. Even the bumpers, door handles and grille are black in colour.
C4: The C4 gets wheel cover, body coloured bumpers and spare wheel tyre cover, digital clock, micro hybrid start-stop, power windows,, central locking and rear-wiper and washer as extra over the C2.
C6: The C6 gets a lot more goodies like body coloured door handles, side steps with puddle lamps, digital drive assist, keyless entry, ABD, integrated music system and even front fog lamps.
C8: The C8 is the top of the line version on the Quanto and it comes loaded with all the bells and whistles like dual airbags, Park Assist and also alloy wheels.
Ed's take:The ride and handling of the Quanto is one area that doesn’t impress us. The problem is that, neither the ride is excellent nor is the handling that great.The Quanto has same underpinnings like that of the Mahindra Xylo and the Genio. So, we expected the ride to be good, but somehow we weren’t very pleased with it also. The ride is smooth and soft, but the increased travel of the suspension doesn’t make it desirable.Again the long travel doesn’t help the Quanto in the handling department. So there is no pleasure to drive around hills and winding roads. Also the tall size of the body and higher ground clearance, increase the body roll.
Renault Duster
INTERIOR:
Ed's take:
It is only the interiors of
the Duster that failed to appeal us. The plastic quality isn’t up to the
mark, even though the fit and finish is decent. The space in the Duster
is just phenomenal, with large and supportive seats.
The interior quality on the Duster is decent. It isn’t phenomenal for its price, but it is good enough. The overall fit and finish of the plastics is good, but it is the feel that doesn’t impress. Even the inside has been designed ergonomically. The black and beige interiors look good and feel premium, as most of the Indians consider beige to be superior over black or grey.
There is loads of space in the front row and the Duster doesn’t feel cramped. The seating is a bit low, but the view is good as the overall visibility of the car is good. The support offered by the seats is good for the back and the thigh. Move into the second row and there will be no disappointment with the space for your knee and head. The space is immense and so is the thigh support. Even the boot is large for 4 people’s luggage. The Duster comes with a dealer fitment option of two additional seats forming the third row.
The Duster comes in three variants, RxE, RxL and RxZ. The latter two come with option packs as well. The RxE is the base model and it comes with basic features like black interiors, keyless entry, power windows. It misses out on airbags and also on ABS.
The RxL is the mid-model and it gets additional features like rear defogger and wiper, front fog lamps, trendy beige fabric seats, the centre console becomes glossy black instead of the charcoal black, electrically adjustable ORVMs, integrated music system with four speakers and USB connectivity, on board computer, glove box lamp and reading lamps being the major upgrades.
The RxZ is the top of the line version and it comes fully loaded with various bells and whistles like dual airbags, ABS, reverse parking sensor, driver seat reminder, body coloured door mirrors with satin, rear AC blower, leather wrapped steering wheel. These are the major add-ons, except for those that were already mentioned in the RxL.
The interior quality on the Duster is decent. It isn’t phenomenal for its price, but it is good enough. The overall fit and finish of the plastics is good, but it is the feel that doesn’t impress. Even the inside has been designed ergonomically. The black and beige interiors look good and feel premium, as most of the Indians consider beige to be superior over black or grey.
There is loads of space in the front row and the Duster doesn’t feel cramped. The seating is a bit low, but the view is good as the overall visibility of the car is good. The support offered by the seats is good for the back and the thigh. Move into the second row and there will be no disappointment with the space for your knee and head. The space is immense and so is the thigh support. Even the boot is large for 4 people’s luggage. The Duster comes with a dealer fitment option of two additional seats forming the third row.
The Duster comes in three variants, RxE, RxL and RxZ. The latter two come with option packs as well. The RxE is the base model and it comes with basic features like black interiors, keyless entry, power windows. It misses out on airbags and also on ABS.
The RxL is the mid-model and it gets additional features like rear defogger and wiper, front fog lamps, trendy beige fabric seats, the centre console becomes glossy black instead of the charcoal black, electrically adjustable ORVMs, integrated music system with four speakers and USB connectivity, on board computer, glove box lamp and reading lamps being the major upgrades.
The RxZ is the top of the line version and it comes fully loaded with various bells and whistles like dual airbags, ABS, reverse parking sensor, driver seat reminder, body coloured door mirrors with satin, rear AC blower, leather wrapped steering wheel. These are the major add-ons, except for those that were already mentioned in the RxL.
ENGINE:
Ed's take:
With
the Duster being a compact SUV, most of the buyers will prefer the
85bhp 1.5litre diesel engine. This engine has good drivability and
sufficient torque to potter around in the city. There is no turbo lag
either and it does make its case for a good buy.
Petrol 1.6-litre:
The Duster comes with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that produces 102bhp
of power at 5850rpm and a torque of 145Nm at 3750rpm. This is a
four-cylinder that earlier powered the Logan. It comes mated to a
5-speed manual transmission. The NVH levels are fairly refined and the
engine isn’t noisy. The power delivery is linear and the shifts on the
box are also good. For quick overtaking one has to downshift as the
power is most available in the higher rev range. The ARAI mileage for
the petrol version of the Duster is 13.4kmpl.
Diesel 84bhp, 1.5-litre:
Duster comes with two power ratings in the diesel variant. One is
85bhp and the other is 108bhp. The 84bhp is available on the RxE and RxL
trim levels. This is the same engine that powers the Nissan Sunny as
well. The NVH (noise vibration and harshness) levels on the diesel
Duster are quiet low and Renault has done a fabulous job on reducing the
clatter. This version of the Duster produces 84 bhp at 3750rpm of power
and 200Nm of torque at 1900rpm. The power delivery is good enough and
the engine is fairly drivable even when in the city. Overtaking in the
city is easy and most of the time a downshift is required. The 5-speed
transmission is good enough and the shifts are positive. The ARAI
claimed fuel efficiency of the 84bhp Duster is 20.64kmpl.
Diesel 108bhp, 1.5-litre:
The 108bhp of the Duster is available only with RxL and RxZ trim
levels. This engine produces 108bhp of power at 3900rpm and a maximum
torque of 248Nm at an engine speed of 2250rpm. The refinement level of
the engine is the same, as the lower powered diesel engine, and there is
no clatter drama. Once you pass 1800rpm, there is sufficient power to
lug around the town. For better utilization of power, this engine comes
mated to a 6-speed manual box than a 5-speed that powers the de-tuned
version of this K9K engine. The shifts on this 6-speed manual box are
also smooth and positive. However, there is a drop in fuel economy by
ARAI standards to 19.1kmpl. On the highway, the sixth-gear will help to
increase the fuel efficiency.
RIDE AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS:
Ed's take:
The
Duster excels in the ride and handling department. It doesn’t just have
a well sorted ride, but even the handling is good for its size and
ground clearance. So, the Duster is makes a strong case for itself.The Duster is based on the Logan platform and so it gets independent McPherson strut with coil springs & anti-roll bar at its front and torsion beam axle with coil springs & anti-roll bar at its rear. The ride of the Duster is fairly supple. All the road shocks are absorbed by the utility vehicle and the occupants get a smooth ride. The ride is similar even at higher speeds.
The handling of the Duster is similar to that of a sedan. It can be chucked around corners and its chassis responds well. Despite the high ground clearance the handling characteristics of the Duster are good. The steering wheel also is light at low speeds and weighs up well as the vehicle gathers speed.
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